A Parisian, Thibaud Poirier has spent most of his life experiencing other cities and cultures across the world. He’s called Buenos Aires, Houston, Montreal, and Tokyo home to name a few. Growing up in these vastly different landscapes and cultures, early on he developed a love and fascination for architecture and urban environments. His focus is to capture the beauty and energy of these places as he sees them. For this reason night, photography holds a special place in his work.
Churches | Photography By Thibaud Poirier
Architecture for a soul.
“The modern church is a delicate institution; under siege from countering theologies, philosophies and the super speed of daily life, it must at once withstand the constant tempest of change while remaining anchored to tradition. The way the most long-standing institutions have done this is by finding a balance: deep roots that touch the core of humanity and yet a flexible reedlike ability to bend and sway with the tensions of modernity.”
Thibaud Poirier
https://www.behance.net/gallery/79320739/Sacred-Spaces
Eglise Saint Jean Bosco , Paris, France
Architects: Dimitri & René Rotter, 1937
The church Saint-Jean-Bosco is one of the most decorated buildings in Paris. Murals, frescoes, mosaics, stained glass, statues, everything is combined and enriches each other from the ground to the vault according to a scheme designed around 1933 by the Parisian workshop of the Mauméjean brothers.
Raymond Subes (ironwork)
Yvonne Parvillée & Georges Serraz (sculptors)
Atelier Berthier-Bessac & Jean Gaudin (glassmakers)
The Mauméjean brothers (decorators)
Saint Anselm’s Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Architect: Antonin Raymond, 1954
The church was built as part of the priory for the Benedictine fathers and included a kindergarten, library, assembly hall and priest’s dwelling. The church was designed to accommodate 500. Noemi Raymond created the stations of the cross using black iron for the hands with the rest being rusted iron.
Saint Joseph, Le Havre, France
Architect: Auguste Perret, 1956
Toward the end of his career, Auguste Perret was the leading architect in the reconstruction of Le Havre, which, as an essential seaport, had been bombed more than one hundred times and lost most of its housing during World War Two. Saint Joseph’s Church was dedicated to more than 5000 victims of the air raids. The symmetrical building is organized around a106 meters high central tower.
The Resurrection of Christ, Köln, Germany
Architect: Gottfried Böhm, 1970
Christi Auferstehung (The Resurrection of Christ) is a Catholic church in the district of Lindenthal in Cologne. It was built between 1968-1970 by architect Gottfried Böhm and later consecrated in 1971. It is regarded as a typical example of sculptural buildings by the architect, and there are similarities in the design with The Pilgrimage Church which was designed at the same time.
Notre Dame de Royan, Royan, France
Architect: Guillaume Gillet, 1958
The church was blessed on July 10, 1958, but the budget has only covered the main work. Over time were added stained glass windows and organ, filed in 2004. Remain unfinished however the western awning, doors and other openings. Also, this church, which has become the symbol of the seaside resort, suffers from leakage problems. Some work has already been done with the use of public funds, but at the current rate, it will take fifty years to ensure the completion and sustainability of the building.
Sainte-Thérèse-de-l’Enfant-Jésus, Metz, France
Architect: André Remondet, 1959
The Church of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face has a significant historical and architectural interest: it is one of the first churches to be built of reinforced concrete and glass.
On May 8, 1954, the church was open to worship. Four bells, cast by the F. Causard smelter of Colmar, are blessed on November 25, 1962. As planned by the architect, they were then hoisted into the “bell chamber,” located above the central porch. The mast, 70 meters high, is erected the following year. The basement rooms were also completed in 1963.
Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Tokyo, Japan
Architect: Kenzo Tange, 1964
St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo was completed in 1964, replacing the old wooden cathedral burnt during wartime. Tange conceived the new church as a concrete structure, simple in concept but complex in shape, which recalls the lightness of a bird and its wings.
Notre dame du Chêne, Viroflay, France
Architects: Louis, Luc and Thierry Sainsaulieu, 1966
At the beginning of the 1960s, architects Louis, Luc and Thierry Sansaulieu, experts in reinforced concrete and glulam, were chosen to build the building. It took six years to complete the Viroflay project. Outside, the roof takes the form of an inverted concrete shell while the spectacular nave, shaped vault, consists of 1300 wooden cells.
Notre Dame de Toute Joie, Grigny, France
Architect: Claude Balick, 1973
The building designed by the architect Claude Balick is entirely made of raw concrete, with a glulam timber frame. Stained glass windows created by the master glassmaker Henri Guérin represent scenes from the rosary and illuminate the church. The place of worship today requires a renovation of its facades. Many microcracks cause the pieces of concrete to fall off, becoming a hazard for residents and for the durability of the building.
For more Thibaud’s photography check his Behance page.
